WARBRIDES-L Archives

From: Karin Duncan <>
Subject: [WARBRIDES-L] Canadian Servicemen - some info
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 22:09:17 -0400

While going through my late father-in-law's records, I found the following
that may be of interest:

#2 Sub Park "A" Park #1 Section (1st Corps Ammunition Park, Royal Canadian
Army Service corps) at Fort York in Ontario (Toronto) was newly
commissioned at the beginning of WWII. The following were the initial
members, and their numbers, of the #2 group:

83849 Sgt Duncan D.G.
84121 Cpl Reid B.
84237 Pte Dodds F
84127 Pte Ward W
83871 Pte Shepperd A
84024 Pte Morrison S
84047 Pte Hedges B
84046 Pte May W
84168 Pte Hooper M
84287 Pte Thompson R.R.
83827 Pte Walker G.O.
83900 Pte Sharpe C.E.
84146 Pte Sirene W.R.
83774 Pte Smyth J.
83884 Pte Shostie M.
84058 Pte Sparks A.P.
84029 Pte Seymour D.

His scrapbook also had some photographs; one a Christmas card from the
Corps Troops Supply Column, Royal Canadian Army Service Column of the
Canadian Active Service force in England. The named personnel in the
photograph accompanying the card were:

Capt G. Greer
Capt H.F. Frank
Lt T.R. Wood
Lt W. Heffernan
Lt L.G. Ostrom
Lt J.S. Chalmers
Capt J.W. Burns
Capt H.L. Coombs
Lt D.R. Beaton
Capt W.H. Buckner
Capt H.E. Short
Major S.H. Coombs
Lt Col V.R. Jones
Capt D.B. Morrison
Capt W.H. Copeland
Capt R.H. Sloane

There were also two other photographs, but without any personnel named -
although I can pick out my late father-in-law, David G. Duncan.

One other item that may be of interest to those researching war brides (and
grooms, as well) was a card that reads as follows:

KING GEORGE & QUEEN ELIZABETH VICTORIA LEAGUE CLUB
FOR SERVICE MEN FROM OVERSEAS
MALET STREET, BLOOMSBURY, LONDON, W.C.I.
Telephones: (official) Museum 9584
(residence) Museum 1848 & 4238

The card states 'This Club has been established by the Victoria League with
the assistance of the Nuffield Trust for the forces of the Crown and under
the general auspices of the Empire Societies War Hospitality Committee. It
exists to provide comfortable quarters and good meals, and opportunities
for recreation for overseas Service men below comissioned rank.' It occurs
to me that there may be some way to research the soldiers who actually
stayed there if you're searching for a missing father - the information
should have at least a unit/regiment and a regimental number for the
non-commissioned officers who took advantage of the club.

There was also a souvenir book called the 'Maple Leaf Scrapbook', basically
wrapping up the Maple Leaf newspaper-style sheets sent around to the units.
It has some interesting photographs of war correspondents (particularly a
precis and picture of Charles Lynch, who was then a 25-year-old), various
photos from the war, etc.

If anyone would like a copy of the photos, let me know and I'll scan them
in. Please let me know what type of attachment (bmp, jpeg, etc) you would
like it in and, for those paying by the minute for their telephone line, be
warned that graphic files are quite large.

I'm sending the above in the hopes it will help someone in their research,
and for those searching for anyone who may be in the photographs mentioned.

Regards

Karin Duncan
Ottawa, Canada

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